


Lost Time

by greycoupon



Category: The X-Files
Genre: Angst, Episode: s09e01-02 Nothing Important Happened Today, F/M, How To Say Goodbye
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-14
Updated: 2019-11-14
Packaged: 2021-01-30 09:16:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21425827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/greycoupon/pseuds/greycoupon
Summary: Set during the 9x01 teaser. - She's going to to make him go because she can't live without him again
Relationships: Fox Mulder/Dana Scully
Comments: 3
Kudos: 34





	Lost Time

She refused to say goodbye. It had taken everything she had to convince him to go and hours of arguing with him as Kersh’s warning echoed in her ears. His life was in danger. He had to leave. Mulder was adamant that he stay. They were a family. But she couldn’t risk it. She had buried him once and it had nearly killed her.

She couldn’t stand to be away from him again, but she could adapt. She was good at that. Being able to cope with the worst situations imaginable had become her forte.

She could deal with being away from him, if she knew he was safe. She couldn’t survive losing him again for good. She couldn’t live with herself or be able to look at William knowing her selfishness had led to his father being taken away permanently.

She rocked the crying baby, while he showered, and rehearsed her speech in her head. Mulder still wasn’t sure so she had to make him sure. Once he was out, dressed and packed, he picked up William who had finally calmed. 

Mulder held the baby to his chest and stared down at his son. “I just can’t walk away from him, from you...from us,” he said without looking away. “I can’t say good-bye.”

Scully swallowed the lump in her throat and willed herself not to cry. If she did, she would break and he would never leave.

She slid next to him, so there was no space between the two of them. “It isn’t good-bye. You and I can never say good-bye. It’s just us not being in the same place for a little while. We are strong. Nothing can break us.” She brought a hand to his face, gently stroking his cheek before looking down at their sleeping child.

“When I get back, we are going to take William to the zoo. We are going to take him to the park and let him feed the ducks.”

Scully smiled. The baby was 5 days old and couldn’t even lift his head. She didn’t want to focus on the milestones Mulder might miss.

Mulder continued, “When I get back we are going to go to the Vineyard around the holidays so I can show you where I grew up.”

He paused for a moment and just stared at her. “When I get back, I’m going to marry you.” He waited.

As proposals went, it wasn’t exactly romantic or what she had imagined as a child. It was rash and presumptuous, but so very Mulder and it caused an ache deep in her gut.

“When you get back, we are going to get married,” she confirmed before leaning in to kiss him softly. It wasn’t a passionate kiss but was a promise. A vow. Just as important as the act itself. She pulled away and he smiled at her. The first real smile in what felt like forever.

“Okay,” he said.

“Okay.”

He left an hour later, the promise still hanging in the air between them even as their physical distance grew.


End file.
